DAILY CATHOLIC
MONDAY
March 29, 1999
vol. 10, no. 61

NEWS & VIEWS from a CATHOLIC perspective

CARDINAL SAYS NO TO FEMALE DEACONS AS HOLY THURSDAY LETTER FOR PRIESTS PRESENTED TO POPE

VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Women cannot be ordained to the diaconate
because that would "represent a degree toward the priesthood," according to
Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, the prefect of the Congregation for the
Clergy.

Speaking at the Vatican on March 25, as he presented the Pope's Holy
Thursday letter to the world's priests, Cardinal Castrillon emphasized the
"spiritual paternity" of the ministerial priesthood. His comment on the
prospect of female deacons may have been an indirect response to an article
published earlier in the month by the prestigious Jesuit review Civilta
Cattolica, which had suggested that a female diaconate might be possible.

Cardinal Castrillon also observed that the vocational crisis of the 1970s and
1980s has abated. He added that the sources of priestly vocations have
changed, and that today more seminarians are being drawn "from the
professional world and people who have begun university studies." These
vocations, he said, could prove more durable.

Noticias Eclesiales also reported in Church News that Cardinal Castrillon
explained that the Pope's Letter is focussed
on the theme of divine fatherhood. Among other things, he
emphasized that it began with the words "Abba Father." And says, "Priests
are invited to be permeated by this fatherhood, but they are
also called to give it to the whole world, which is in such
urgent need of it." The Cardinal Prefect also affirmed the
importance of the Eucharist for the priest's life. This
sacrament is "the inexhaustible mystery of Christ and from his
prayer is the summit and source of all good. The Holy
Sacrifice is the absolute center of the life and day of the
priest. Priesthood and the Eucharist are indissolubly united,"
commented the Vatican Cardinal.

In his letter, the Pope urges all priests to "carry out with
confidence and courage their duty of guiding the community to
authentic Christian prayer. This is a duty which no priest may
ever forsake, even though the difficulties caused by today's
secularized mentality can at times make it extremely demanding
for him."

Articles provided through Catholic World News
and Church News at Noticias Eclesiales. Both CWN and NE are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provides this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.